


Care Package

by OtterlyDeerlightful



Category: Lokitty - Fandom, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Established Relationship, Loki Light, M/M, Pets, pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-04-07 00:24:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19073719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OtterlyDeerlightful/pseuds/OtterlyDeerlightful
Summary: Loki is off...somewhere int he universe and Tony is stuck at home feeling rather lonely. Perhaps Loki can do something to fix that.





	Care Package

**Author's Note:**

> 100% inspired by the photo at the end of the fic, posted on the Lokitty group I belong to. This is entirely your fault, guys XD

Avengers Tower was quiet these days. On one hand, that was a good thing; it meant no terrible catastrophes or global threats looming overhead. On the other hand, it was lonely. Damn lonely. Tony Stark had never been very adept at keeping a significant number of close friends. Acquaintances, sure. Fans and ass-kissing leeches, you bet! But friends…not so much. Even his relationships with the rest of the Avengers were sometimes turbulent at best. Rhodey, Pepper, and Bruce were probably the only friends in his life that his inner demons hadn’t driven away, but as much as the _media_ loved to hang on every word that fell from the billionaire’s mouth, Tony’s friends were still human beings with their own lives, obligations, and interests. He wasn’t the center of their world. Not that he really wanted to be, but having occasional company around the lab was nice.

As much as he loved his friends, though, they weren’t the ones Tony wanted to see. No, he ached for a very specific person. Tony had three very dear friends for whom he would do anything, but only one person held his _heart_. Their unlikely relationship had, frankly, blindsided them both, leaving all who knew either party doubting that the pair would last for any real amount of time. Particularly after the tumultuous transition from hero and villain into allies. Tony and Loki had so far managed to make things work for nearly two years, much to the surprise of everyone. Especially themselves. The two men just seemed to _click_ and, for once in his life, Tony knew it was best to simply let things be instead of tinkering with it to figure out exactly how everything managed to work.

For the past few weeks, though, Tony had been on his own.

Loki was off-world for reasons the billionaire didn’t understand and, honestly, didn’t entirely care to know. He had learned that, sometimes, when dealing with Loki and his business it was better _not_ to be involved. Besides, they had an understanding. Neither of the men were very keen on being tied down. In hindsight, Tony had realized that that was one of the reason why he and the literal god of chaos could work so well; they understood each other.

Both he and Loki valued their freedom above all else and neither party made any attempt to change that about the other. If Tony was in the workshop for days, Loki would come and go as he pleased and interject to ensure his partner’s wellbeing while he worked; if Loki was studying or up to some sort of trickery, Tony would leave the mage in peace or offer helpful feedback, whichever happened to be called for at the time. Traveling was something both of them did on occasion for one reason or another…but that didn’t mean Tony didn’t miss his other half when they were separated.

Tony stared at his StarkPhone, his thumb hovering over the _Send_ button nestled in the corner of the screen. After much experimentation that had been an intellectual joy for the both of them, Tony had been able to adjust Loki’s StarkPhone to be able to use the god’s own seiðr as a backup energy source if needed and, potentially, a beacon and personal transmitter. He had played with the idea for just this type of situation, and yet he was hesitant to test it now. It worked fine on Earth, they had both happily found, but this was something else entirely, and there was no telling if they message could go through with or without Loki’s magic to help it. The man read over his text again.

_How’s it going? Miss ya_

It felt silly to send such a simple, borderline childish message. Tony had originally typed out a long, rambling paragraph about wanting to test the capabilities of their separated phones in a real-world scenario, but he had gone and deleted it in its entirety after realizing how pathetically transparent his loneliness had been behind the words. He didn’t know what Loki was up to, after all. The last thing the god probably needed was a clingy, needy earthling whining to him while he tried to conduct business. Or destruction. Could be either, really. Oh well. It wasn’t like Tony was known for his good life choices anyway, right?

He tapped his thumb to the screen and his text was sent off into the ether.

The deed done, Tony hauled himself to his feet and headed for the kitchen to brew some coffee. Something told him he might need it later. He always needed coffee later, whenever _later_ happened to came about.

There was no telling how long the message would take to reach Loki, if it did at all, and he doubted the trickster would respond anytime soon anyway. So, he reasoned, why play a waiting game when there were suit designs to tinker with and some new medical ka-jigger he still needed to look at for a colleague. Tony didn’t want to think about either item right now, and let himself, instead, get lost in the motions of preparing a cup of jo. Just as he was putting the pot on, though, his zoned-out mind was reminded of his surroundings by the soft _ping!_ That came from from his pocket.

He dug around for his phone, expecting it to be a message from Pepper about getting the lead out on that medical doo-dad. Instead, he found a very different message waiting for him. 

 

> **Not Very Low-Key** – I am well. I assume you’ve run out of toys to play with if you have decided to test the capabilities of your cellphone alterations. Consider your experiment a success, particularly if you receive this message in turn. Take care, Anthony. I miss you as well.

 

Tony smiled. Why Loki insisted on full, usually long, sentences when texting was beyond him, but he was happy to see the mass of text that took up almost half of his screen anyway.  He leaned back against the kitchen counter and immediately started on his reply. If their phones’ connections were going to be near-instantaneous, he was going to take full advantage of it right here and now. 

 

> **Me** – Plenty of toys—boring compared to a god tho. U up to anything fun? Should I even ask?
> 
> **Not Very Low-Key** – I have discovered several new pathways between the realms of which I was not aware. I apologize for the delay in my return, but I promise I will be home shortly. I am mapping the remaining few for future reference as we speak.
> 
> **Me** – Is it stupid I like it when u call it home?
> 
> **Not Very Low-Key** – Not at all, Anthony.
> 
> **Me** –How long’s the mapping gonna be? Tower’s too quiet without u being u in it
> 
> **Me –** It’s deafening!!!
> 
> **Not Very Low-Key** – It will not be long, perhaps another week at the most. I look forward to seeing you again. Once I can ensure these pathways’ stability for regular travel, perhaps I will be able to take you with me for future exploration.
> 
> **Me** – I’d like that. I’d like u at home more tho…
> 
> **Not Very Low-Key** – I can imagine. I will have to do something to alleviate the pain you must feel in my absence. It cannot be easy for you to fill the void left in my wake.
> 
> **Me** – Very funny, Rudolph.
> 
> **Not Very Low-Key** – I will see you soon, my love. Remember to take care of yourself.
> 
> **Me** – Fiiiiine

 

Tony set his phone down on the counter after that, recognizing the finality in Loki’s last text from experience. Leave it to a proper, borderline fop, alien price to take so well to texting that Tony could decipher unspoken context in the words’ non-existent tone. The man briefly wondered if that meant that Loki had thoroughly trained him somehow. Whatever…Pepper had already beat him to that years ago anyway. Tony went back to his coffee.

~~*~~

Against all odds, tinkering in his workshop did little to distract the inventor. Now that he knew Loki’s StarkPhone actually worked across the damn universe itself, Tony kept finding himself glancing over at his cell every few minutes to see if a message had somehow managed to come through without his notice.

_“May I point out, Sir, that continually checking your phone over the last few hours has, by itself, reduced your phone’s battery by over fifteen percent. If you are waiting for a message from Master Loki, you should be able to hear the notification with the volume being as high as it is. Shall I project the notification alert to my speakers as well, to maximize the—?”_

“No, J,” Tony interrupted with a sigh. He set his wrench down and leaned back in his chair. “I’m just being…shit, I’m being that weird overly-attached boyfriend, aren’t I?”

_“I would rather not comment on the matter, Sir.”_

The man cocked an eyebrow at the nearest camera. “Wow, really? _Et tu_ , JARVIS?”

The AI fell silent, but Tony could _swear_ that JARVIS would be smirking at him if they could.

“I don’t know where you got your snark, young man, but I don’t like it.”

 _“Apologies, Sir. I don’t know_ what _could have influenced my programming.”_

“Smartass.”

 _“I am as you designed me,”_ the AI pointed out.

Tony wanted to come back with another quip, something about wiping JARVIS and starting from scratch, maybe, but he was too amused by his artificial companion’s attitude that all he uttered was a stifled laugh. Well, he might be lonely as hell, but at least he had J. Tony settled back in his chair and pulled up a new screen to try and get back to work for a while.

_“Sir?”_

Tony looked up from where he had begun to settle back down into some mindless email sorting. “What’s up?”

_“You seem to have received a package.”_

“Really?” The man glanced over at the nearest clock and frowned. “At this hour? What, ‘d the delivery guy get lost or something?”

_“I don’t believe so, Sir, as the package has just materialized in your bedroom.”_

“My bedroom?” Tony echoed. “What do you me—holy damn.”

He jumped to his feet, hustling out of the workshop and up to his bedroom. The list of people he knew could literally make stuff appear out of thin air was a short one and there was no doubt in his mind as to which one of them had deemed it fit to send him something.

Lo and behold, Tony entered the bedroom to find a box sitting in the middle of his bed. Well, maybe not a box so much as a…crate, maybe? The cube was larger than he had expected, about two-foot across and high, and was made from carved, polished wood. The first thing Tony thought upon seeing it was that it looked a bit like some fancy decorate footrest that happened to be missing the cushion. It had complex, flowing patterns carved into its sides with an elaborate lattice bordering the entirety of the top, as if to encourage air flow. The box, or crate, or whatever it was had a pale cord wrapped around each side and tied carefully on the top, where Tony could see a piece of paper—no, parchment. Loki was far too extravagant to use ordinary paper—tucked under the thick strands.

Tony approached with a mix of delight and trepidation. It _was_ from Loki, after all. As much as Tony adored him, Loki was _still_ the god of tricks and treats and sometimes Loki could forgot exactly how much or what sorts of alien nonsense or bodily harm a human could handle. The last thing he needed was to have a repeat of the troll fiasco from three months ago. How was Tony supposed to know that real trolls weren’t just stupid dolls with giant hair and jeweled navels? Yeah, that had _not_ been a fun day.

He pulled the letter out from under the cord that pinned it and began reading. 

 

> _My Dearest Anthony,_
> 
> _It was wonderful to be able to speak with you today. Although, I must admit, doing so has only made me long to hear your voice and hold you in my arms again all the more. I wish that I could say that I am able to speed the pace of my work to come home to you sooner, but I’m afraid that is something I cannot promise. Much like your own work, precision is key when fully mapping and understanding the hidden pathways between realms and I must give the task my full attention._
> 
> _Though my travels have been interesting, I think that I will save any stories for my return. However, I will offer you a “sneak peek” in the form of a gift. I know you almost too well, Anthony, and I could tell from your words that your longing must be as deep as mine. I know how you have a tendency to hide yourself away from the world in such times and so, I offer you a distraction._
> 
> _I encountered a number of these small creatures a few days ago. They are remarkable, really—immensely clever, agile, and able to act as a conduit for sei_ _ðr. I have personally watched them channel the energy in the air around them into defensive shields and for short-range teleportation when threatened. As curious as I was about them, they have been as equally interested in me, and I seem to have generated a minor following._
> 
> _The one I send to you is young, but has been my most trusted and loyal companion since leaving your company. Please take care of them and I assure you that they will reciprocate. They do not yet have a proper name but please, Anthony, take care in what you call them. I do not yet know to what capacity they understand speech, but I assure you these creatures have, at the very least, a basic grasp of the fundamentals of your tongue. Do not insult them as you do everyone else with which you surround yourself._
> 
> _I will be home as soon as I can. I miss you dearly, my Anthony. Until then—_
> 
> _All my love,_
> 
> _Loki_

 

Tony scanned the letter again, a softness in his eyes and an affectionate smirk on his lips. “Who knew a god of lies and destruction could be so sappy?”

 _“It is quite a surprise, Sir,”_ the AI replied in a flat tone.

“Hmm. Well, I guess can say my boyfriend got me a pet. We’re getting downright domestic, aren’t we?”

_“Shall I order a white picket fence for the tower, Sir?”_

“You think you’re smart, don’t….you…?”

The sound of voices must have disturbed whatever creature was in the box, because Tony suddenly heard the shifting of something inside. The sound of soft movement was quickly accompanied by barely audible sniffs and the man could see the shadow of something inside through the gaps of the lowermost lattice ring. His banter with JARVIS was promptly forgotten.

“Okay, okay, let’s get you out,” Tony said aloud, folding up Loki’s letter and setting it carefully on the nightstand.

The cords over the crate were loose, apparently only added to ensure that the lid stayed in place during its inter-realm transport. That was good, at least. He slid off the meager restraints and lifted the lid to set aside as he curiously peered inside.

A pair of large, yellow eyes stared up at him from the depths of the wooden box. The creature blinked at the unfamiliar face staring at it. Tony did likewise.

“…It’s a cat.”

The furry thing made a noncommittal mew.

Mindful to keep his movements slow and deliberate around the unfamiliar animal, Tony reached inside to pick up Loki’s gift. It dangled over the box from whence it came with little fuss. Tony held the apparently docile thing out at arm’s length to get a good look at it in its entirety.

“Yeah,” he said to himself. “You’re definitely a cat.”

It mewed again.

“Uh…okay.” Tony moved aside and set the cat down on the bed. He stepped back and stroked his goatee as the animal glanced around at its new surroundings. “So Loki sent me…a cat.” He gave the god’s note a brief glance before looking back at the black kitten currently sitting on his comforter. “A supposedly _magic_ cat,” he amended.

The feline readjusted itself on its haunches and pulled its tail close to its side. After deciding that Tony apparently wasn’t going to do much more than stare, it decided to clean its face.

Tony shoved his hands in his pockets. “At least you’re cute,” he said, watching as the little thing dabbed its moistened paw behind its ear. “I don’t know the first thing about cats but…Loki seems to think I won’t accidentally kill you, so…” Tony shrugged.

The cat looked up at him again, its brow lowered ever so slightly. It gave the animal a distinct look of unamused displeasure. Tony snorted at the sight of it, knowing that look well. Tony cocked his head, narrowing his eyes.

“That’s not you, is it?”

To his surprise, the cat looked vaguely confused. The immediate change in expression took Tony aback. No, shapeshifting didn’t seem to be at play here; Loki was far too masterful to let himself be given away so easily.

“Okay, you’re not Loki.”

He swore the kitten rolled its eyes before flopping over on its side and sniffing curiously at the blanket.  Tony squatted down to better see the creature eye-to-eye.

“You _can_ understand me, can’t you?”

The creature mewed, looking up at him.

Tony blinked. “Okay, file that under _Wow_.” He tilted his chin toward the ceiling. “JARVIS?”

The kitten jumped slightly and curiously looked around at the ceiling when the AI answered with a _“Yes, Sir?”_

“Can I get a scan on our new furry friend here?”

 _“Right away, Sir.”_ After a few seconds, JARVIS continued. _“Though they share many physical and presumably physiological similarities, I am not certain that the animal is a cat at all, Sir. It has a sei_ _ðr signature very close to Master Loki’s, but is itself distinct. To the best of my knowledge, it is a yet unclassified alien species. Based on its behavior so far, I would not doubt its intellect.”_

The tiny cat almost preened at the AI’s observations. If a cat could look sure of itself, that’s how Tony’s little gift looked right now.

“Right…sure remind me of Lokes, that’s for sure,” Tony mumbled to himself as he watched his furry visitor. He did his best to try and ignore the fact that he was talking to an animal. “Well, he said you don’t have a name yet…”

The kitten mewed at him.

“You want one?”

It mewed again, righting itself to a more attentive position. The tip of its tail thumped passively behind it and, though Tony wasn’t sure at that distance, he thought it might be lightly purring.

“Okay, um…” Tony studied the creature in front of him. Slowly, a smile began to spread across his face as a few choice ideas sprang to mind. “You know what? Come with me. I’ll give you the tour, run some things by ya.”

The cat mewed and got up instantly. They stretched and jumped from the bed, sniffing at the floor briefly before waiting for Tony to lead the way.

“J, pull up some pet supply places. My new buddy and I have some shopping to do.” He looked down at the cat that was soon trotting beside him as they headed out to the hallway.  “And fire up the 3D printer while you’re at it. I’ve gotta make something.”

 

~~*~~*~~*~~

 

Some hours later, Loki was preparing to take a short break from his work. Since sending his newest traveling companion to Anthony, his temporary base of operations had become depressingly silent. Certainly far less entertaining, at the very least. Still, despite his talent for flirtation and socialization, Loki knew his Tony was a largely a lonely person whose emotional isolation had most likely been the catalyst for testing the intergalactic range of their personal StarkPhones in the first place. Loki was quite familiar with the feeling himself and, though he could not leave his task _yet_ , the trickster had been determined to alleviate the pain for the man he cared for so deeply.

A familiar chime and subtle vibration against his leg caught the god’s attention. Loki drew out his phone to see what Tony might have to say about Loki’s gift. He was surprised that it had taken so long to get a response, actually. For the briefest moment, Loki felt a pang of worry that he had made the wrong decision, and that Tony might be demanding answers as to why he had to feed a curious juvenile creature not of his realm while Loki was elsewhere. That worry, however, melted away the moment Loki pulled up their text log.

 

> **Anthony Stark** – So…surprise! Weird alien cats that totally understand English like burritos! Go figure
> 
> **Anthony Stark –** The lil guy’s definitely made himself at home…I think *I’m* gonna be the 1 sleeping in the new cat bed 2nite
> 
> **Loki of Midgard** – To be completely fair, there have been many nights where I had to personally intervene to keep you from falling asleep in your workshop. Perhaps if you slept in your own bed more often, they would be able to tell by scent that the space was already claimed.
> 
> **Anthony Stark** – O ha ha, blanket hog
> 
> **Anthony Stark** – BTW, we ran through a bunch of names but I think we found 1 we both like
> 
> **Loki of Midgard** – Oh?
> 
> **Anthony Stark** – I think it fits great. O, and they claimed ur pink blanket towel thing
> 
> **Loki of Midgard** – That is your blanket, Anthony. If my memory serves me correctly, it was originally part of a “gag gift” of yours for Colonel Rhodes last Christmas. You insisted on keeping it for reasons I have yet to understand.
> 
> **Anthony Stark** – Details details Anyway ur down by a towel
> 
> **Loki of Midgard** – Well, nonetheless, I am glad that the two of you are getting along so well. I look forward to joining you both again, though I fully recognize that I will no doubt grow to regret those words once I see the inevitably sorry state of the penthouse upon my return.
> 
> **Anthony Stark** – We’ll keep ya updated! O and he loves his new outfit I printed up for him. I think it fits
> 
> **Anthony Stark** – BTW Lokitty says hi

 

Loki was about to reply to the strange statement when Anthony’s picture finally came through. He blinked, then promptly began to laugh as he took in the image he was seeing. Yes, he decided, his little care package home to his love had achieved exactly what he had hoped, and he was already looking forward to the numerous updates the man and his new furry companion would surely be sending him in the near future.

 


End file.
